Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere

[Otto Fauser]

Sorry - still got L plates on - here are the rest thanks Maggie love Otto

[Paul T]

Marcus and Otto,

Wow!!  Double and triple wow!!  That double rivale is something else, that is for sure, and the beautifully round pink is to die for!!!!!  Fantastic!! 

[SueG]

Marcus and Otto,

Wow!!  Double and triple wow!!  That double rivale is something else, that is for sure, and the beautifully round pink is to die for!!!!!  Fantastic!! 

Couldn't have put it better myself a double flower which looks so good!
Sue

[Lesley Cox]

Hi Marcus, Great to have you on the Forum and I hope you hang around and continue to post when you get home again. Give my love to Otto and to Susan.

The double rivale is a little stunner isn't it? I didn't know there was one except that I occasionally get 6 petals on a single flower on a clump but it's back to 3 again the following year. I hope Viv's is stable. She'll be able to retire on it.

I was wondering about the quarantine plants and if they were still IN quarantine. I guess AQIS will want to see them at this full growth stage. Do you have any idea how the Narc. rom. `Atlas Gold' came through the methyl bromide? They're for Don, though on Tim's permit.

I got the seeds all right from the red-berried Pernettya tasmanica but Don's damned bower bird ate the yellow, same as the blue berries on the coprosma. Poked its neck through the bird netting apparently. I'm sending him a recipe for cooking the bower bird!

I absolutely agree about Cloudhill, a super place. I've been there in both spring and autumn and was enchanted both times. Hopefully next early spring.

This is sounding more like a personal email instaed of a post to the Forum, but wanted to say welcome. Wish I was with you there. And who care's about the rugby anyway?

[Paul T]

Lesley,

The Rugby is a bit of a shocker isn't it!!  First time that the series final won't have either Aus or NZ in it!!  Go Argentina!!! 

[Casalima]

The Portuguese team (points difference -171, only Namibia were worse) were given a hero's welcome in Portugal - hey ho 

Chloë

[Lesley Cox]

Chloe, I loved the Portugese team. They had such a great spirit and were intent on enjoying themselves and having a great time regardless of the results. The men we saw and heard who were interviewed by NZ commentators, were such nice guys and truly loved their sport, not taking it all too seriously as we tend to do. I hope that for future World Cups the less accomplished teams are not rejected as has been suggested by some of the administrators. We'd miss them.

[Maggi Young]

Now, Paul, I was going to chastise you for not getting behind Scotland, and, if you had, we might have played a bit better and beaten those pesky Pumas...now we're ALL out!

edit: OOPS! well, I forgot that Rogan's team and the English were still involved!! Just as well we haven't too many French forumists or I'd have insulted them, too1
 Sorry!

[Lesley Cox]

Well Maggi, presumably the best final would have been Scotland v. the All Blacks. I wonder who would have won that one.

The Portugese and the Fijians were welcomed home as heros and great good fortune to them. It will still be north v. south, just not the right teams. Our guys are due home tomorrow (in the air as I write) and I suspect will be for a right good lynching, judging by the newspaper and TV reactions. One has to say in regard to that, "get a life."

[Maggi Young]

Well Maggi, presumably the best final would have been Scotland v. the All Blacks. I wonder who would have won that one.

That's very easy to answer, Lesley.... the Bookmakers, of course! 

[Rogan]

edit: OOPS! well, I forgot that Rogan's team and the English were still involved!! Just as well we haven't too many French forumists or I'd have insulted them, too1
 Sorry!

Yah, nah, ne, nah! Do I detect sour grapes from our Scot, Aus and NZ supporters?  I loved the Fiji vs SA game, which the Fijians should have won - SA woke up just in time!

Just to make you all feel a little better - an image of the 'Graskop' form of Agapanthus inapertus:

[fermi de Sousa]

The Aus team are straggling back home to enjoy their favourite w(h)ine: "We were really unlucky against the Poms"(best said with very nasal twang!).
I'll stick to gardening! (says the Physio who considers all sports injuries as "self inflicted"!)
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Just to make you all feel a little better

That stunning Agapanthus certainly cheered me up, Rogan. Very elegant  blue.

[Lesley Cox]

Our lot arrived home yesterday tails between their legs but found themselves greeted uproariously by crowd of thousands at Christchurch airport. Players OK but it seems the management/coaches/selectors may be for the chop. Not sour grapes Rogan, just major disappointment. Good luck for yours against Argentina - I think.